[Mission 2023] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 21 February 2023

 GS Papers 1

Syllabus: French Revolution, Napoleon’s Invasions

Source: Indian Express

Context: Russia asked French President Emmanuel Macron to remember the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte after he called for Russia’s defeat against Ukraine.

Why did France invade Russia under Napoleon?

• After winning the battle of Friedland in 1807, Napoleon signed the Treaties of Tilsit with Russia’s Tsar Alexander I, which marked the beginning of their alliance.
• The Russians also accepted to become part of Napoleon’s Continental Blockade, which prohibited both neutral parties and French allies from trading with Great Britain.
• However, this caused severe damage to the Russian economy, forcing the Tsar to break the agreement in 1810 and start trading with Britain openly.
• When all the attempts of negotiations failed, Napoleon sent 600,000 of his Grande Armée into

Why did the invasion fail?

• When the Grande Armée reached the Russian territory, the Tsar’s army retreated into the interior regions, compelling the French to cover much longer distances than expected.
• This led to a shortage of food and other supplies. Napoleon’s military strategists also realized that restocking was a daunting task in Russia because it had a poor road network.
• Russian soldiers, who adopted “a scorched earth policy of destroying everything possible as they retreated before the French”, made food scarcity worse.
• As a result, Napoleon’s troops started to suffer from hunger, fatigue and diseases like typhus and diarrhoea.
• After the Tsar refused to respond to any of Napoleon’s proposed negotiations for weeks, the French emperor begrudgingly ordered his men to return.
• But the French weren’t prepared to face the bone-chilling cold of Russia and the situation spiralled out of control. When temperatures fell to minus 22 degrees Celsius, the soldiers froze to death.

What happened after the invasion?

• Napoleon’s failed conquest of Russia united the rest of Europe against him.
• Known as the War of the Sixth Coalition, the battle concluded with the defeat of Napoleon, who then went into exile.
• He briefly returned to power in France in 1815 but had to abdicate his throne for the second time after he lost the Battle of Waterloo during the War of the Seventh Coalition.

Impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s policy on India:

French Revolution:

• The French Revolution had a limited impact on India as India was under British colonial rule at that time.
• However, some Indians who were exposed to the ideas of the French Revolution were inspired by the concepts of liberty, equality, and fraternity and started to demand these values in India’s own political landscape.

Napoleon’s Policies:

• Napoleon’s conquest of Egypt in 1798 brought the French into direct contact with India, as India was an important trade partner of Egypt at that time.
• Napoleon established trade relations with Indian ports and sent emissaries to the court of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India.
• Napoleon’s support for Tipu Sultan against the British in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798-1799) was short-lived, and Tipu Sultan was defeated by the British.

Mains Link: UPSC 2019

Q. Explain how the foundations of the modern world were laid by the American and French Revolutions.

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

Source: IE

 Context: The Central government is seeking to change guidelines [issued by the SC after the Indira Jaising vs. Union of India case in 2017] for the designation of senior lawyers.

Background:

• Indira Jaising (India’s first woman Senior Advocate) challenged the existing process as “opaque”, “arbitrary” and “fraught with nepotism.”
• The SC (in 2017) decided to lay down guidelines for itself and all HCs on the process of designating senior advocates.
• The SC had acknowledged that the guidelines are not exhaustive and left them open for consideration by this Court.
• An application for modification was filed before the Apex Court in ‘Amar Vivek Aggarwal vs. High Court of Punjab and Haryana’ recently.

The Guidelines to Regulate the Conferment of Designation of Senior Advocates 2018:

• A permanent secretariat that will receive and compile all applications → A Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates empowered with powers of conferment.
  • The CJI-chaired committee was to consist of two senior-most SC judges, the Attorney General of India, and a member of the Bar.
• The CJI or any other judge could recommend the name of an advocate for designation.
• Alternatively, advocates could submit their applications, to be evaluated on criteria like 10-20 years of legal practice as an advocate, district judge, or judicial member of an Indian tribunal.
• Once a candidate’s name is approved, it will be forwarded to the Full Court (which can also recall the designation) to decide on the basis of the majority.
• To ensure greater transparency in the process of designating, the system of “voting by secret ballot” is discouraged, except in unavoidable cases.

How were advocates designated before the 2017 ruling?

• The Advocates Act, 1961 [Section 16 (1)] states two classes of advocates – senior advocates and other advocates.
• A senior advocate must be a deserving candidate [standing at the Bar/exceptional competence, contribution to the development of law] in the opinion of the SC or an HC.
• It was the Chief Justice and the judges who designated an advocate as a ‘senior’ advocate.

Why is the Centre trying to modify the guidelines now?

• The current requirements for designation are arbitrary and have resulted in ousting of otherwise eligible candidates.
• The point-based system, which awards 40% weightage to publications, personality and suitability, is subjective, ineffective, and dilutes the esteem and dignity of the honour.
• The application seeks to reinstate the rule of a simple majority by a secret ballot, where the judges can express their views about the suitability of any candidate.

Prelims Links: (UPSC 2022)

GS Paper 2

Syllabus: International Relations

Source: IE

 Context: After over a year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, new concerns are being raised about Beijing’s probable willingness to support Moscow militarily.

Russia-China relations:

• Both pledged their commitment to a “no limits” friendship.
• According to China’s Foreign Ministry, the China-Russia partnership is established on the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties.

China’s position on the Russian war on Ukraine:

• China has refused to criticize Russia.
• Russia was provoked into taking action by NATO’s westward expansion.
• Russian and Chinese forces have held joint military drills since Russia invaded Ukraine.
• At the same time, it insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations must be upheld.
• Thus, China has tried to walk a fine and often contradictory line – presenting itself as a country striving for peace in Ukraine publicly but privately aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.

Has China provided material support to Russia?

• So far, China’s support for Russia has been rhetorical and political. For example, preventing efforts to condemn Moscow at the UN.
• However, the US has long been concerned that China would provide weapons to Russia.

How has China responded to allegations of providing military aid to Russia?

• According to China’s Foreign Ministry, it has always played a constructive role in the Ukraine conflict by adhering to principles, encouraging peace and promoting talks.
• The US is adding fuel to the fire to take advantage of the opportunity to make profits.

What could happen if China aids Russia?

• Impact on US-China ties: As the USA’s efforts limit Chinese access to the microprocessors and continued challenge to Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea, the Chinese military aid to Russia will further deteriorate their ties.
• For China: The most sensitive issue is US support for Taiwan, which is a major customer for US defensive arms.
• For India: As Delhi is already worried about the Russia-China bonding that has emerged in recent years, China’s military aid can increase India’s tensions.

Insta Links:

Lessons from Russia’s Ukraine war

Mains Links:

‘China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia’, In light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbour. (UPSC 2017)

Prelims Links: (UPSC 2018)

GS Paper 3

 Syllabus: Environment, Conservation

Source: DTE

 Context: According to a report titled ‘XDI’s Gross Domestic Climate Risk’, the Indian economy is likely to suffer alongside China and the US due to climatic impacts.

About the report:

• It has been prepared by XDI (The Cross Dependency Initiative) – an independent specialist established in 2006.
• It predicts damage to the built environment from extreme weather (flooding, forest fires) and climate change (sea level rise) and also identifies which jurisdictions see the greatest escalation of damage from 1990 to 2050.

India-specific findings:

• It shows that 14 Indian states are set to remain within the top 100 most climate-risk-prone territories of the world by 2050.
• Bihar (followed by UP and Assam) is set to be the most climate-vulnerable region in India by 2050.
• Assam is the most vulnerable region in India in terms of the increase of climatic impacts during 1990-2050.

Global findings:

• Two of China’s largest sub-national economies (Jiangsu and Shandong) are in first and second place.
• After China, the US has the most high-risk states with 18 states in the top 100, with Florida being the highest-ranking US state.
• Other globally significant economic hubs in the top 100 include Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Taiwan and Mumbai.
• Southeast Asia experiences the greatest escalation in damage from 1990 to 2050 anywhere in the world.

Significance of the report:

• This is the first physical climate risk analysis focused exclusively on the built environment, comparing every state, province and territory in the world.
• It will help investors and project developers to plan accordingly.

Way ahead:

• Scientists and experts need to get together, understand and find solutions to mitigate/adapt to risks posed by climate change.
• There is a need to protect blue and green infrastructure as the window of opportunity according to the IPCC report is about 15-20 years.

 Conclusion: As the global temperature is expected to reach 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, the risk is going to compound for some of these cities ranked in the report. Therefore, sustainable development through renewable energy transition is unavoidable.

Insta Links:

Himalayan plunder: 3 million Indians live in areas that can be swept by glacial lake floods, says study

GS Paper 3

Syllabus: Environment Conservation

Source: DTE

Context: India has been leading the blue economy discourse at the highest level with its geographic and geostrategic position, putting greater focus on the Indian Ocean region but abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear is a serious threat worldwide.

About Blue Economy:

Blue economy refers to a wide range of economic activities pertaining to the sustainable development of resources and possessions in the oceans, connecting rivers, water bodies and coastal regions with a focus on equity, inclusion, innovation and modern technology.

 Advantages of coastal India hold for the blue economy:

• Global producer of Fish
• Presence of Poly Metallic Nodules – PMNs
• Sea Trade – Currently 95% of India’s trade volume transits by sea and the total capacity of all the Indian Ports was 2562.85 MTPA in 2021.
• Boosting Domestic and Regional Trade

Indian Initiatives:

• Promoting the spirit of ‘SAGAR-Security and Growth for All in the Region’ in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Sagarmala Project
• Coastal Economic Zones
• Resource exploration: India in recent times has shifted its focus toward Indian Ocean resource exploration. E.g. India has explored 75000 sq km of Indian Ocean Seabed and is developing technologies (like remotely operated vehicles) for mining the resources.
• Matsya Sampada Yojana
• International relations and security

Sustainable measures are needed to realize the blue economy potential:

• Minimizing the impact of fishing on the environment involves using sustainable fishing methods, reducing bycatch, and protecting habitats from destruction.
• Capacity development of coastal communities
• Anticipating and adapting to the impacts of climate change
• The effective implementation of the UNCLOS